


Of Instincts and Decay

by NihilismPastry



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horrortale, F/M, Female Reader, Pregnant! Reader, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-08-31 22:46:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8596747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NihilismPastry/pseuds/NihilismPastry
Summary: Instincts were valued over morals and logic in the Underground. In a world filled with death and decay, they could be the saving grace of any monster. Sans hated them with a passion, the idea of becoming a mindless beast appalling. However, when he accidentally soul bonds with a pregnant human, his instincts are hypersensitive. Driven to the very brink of his sanity, he threatens to become worse than the human idea of 'monster'.





	1. Acid

**Author's Note:**

> So the lovely Kaleia gave me this idea. You can now blame her for the terrible things that will happen in this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You fall into a strange new world, that you're certain is a drug trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore Level: Low
> 
> This story will always have Gore levels. The higher the Gore Level, the more graphic the chapter is.

You had once read that the mind would force logic into a situation where logic just didn't exist. Even if the logic was faulty, or there was another obvious reason, logic would always try to prevail. And as you sat in the middle of a flower patch, staring at a bright yellow flower with a single green eye, you were desperate for logic. You pulled your knees as close to your chest as you could, eyes wide and mouth ajar. The flower tilted its head to the side, the petals bouncing in place. "Huh, I didn't expect you to survive that. Not with your-Hey! Don't start drawing attention to yourself, you don't want her to find you. Trust me."

You ignored the flower and continued to fiddle with the phone you'd taken out of your pocket. The screen was cracked, but it was still usable. You flinched when a green vine ripped the phone out of your hands, and tossed it away. Your gaze snapped from your empty hands, to the flower. "Why did you-!"

"Don't make a nuisance of yourself." The flower hissed, before its tone changed entirely. "My name's Flowey. Flowey the Flower. You fell a pretty long way, you know. Over a thousand feet."

A thousand feet? That was the height of a small sky scraper, there was no way you should have survived that. And yet you didn't feel any pain, just the usual achiness you'd been dealing with for the last three months. Your pressed your palms into warm soil and pushed yourself up. Dirt and grass fell off your skirt and jacket, hitting the poor flower. It grumbled in disgust, but didn't lash out at you again. 

You glanced around for a moment, eyebrows furrowed as you took in the place. It was a dark empty room, with violet stones making up the walls. The flower swam through the dirt and stones, staring up at you with an expectant glare. "Well come on! I didn't get you so you could sight see, I need help."

"And what could I help you with?" If anything you needed help. You were having a conversation with a talking flower, and walking through an underground corridor. It was like a very tame acid trip. 

"I need you to distract someone for me. They've got my friend captive, and I need you to help me get them outta here."

Good grief, an acid trip with a plot. "And where's this friend?"

* * *

 The house looked quaint from the outside. It was made of a rich wood, but looked rather plain from the outside. Somehow a tree was growing outside of it, the leaves a bright orange. It looked like something out of a Thanksgiving Hallmark card, sans the violet stone floor and stalactites growing from the ceiling. Flowey disappeared into the ground, leaving you alone for the first time since you started this trek. You guessed he had gone underground in order to get inside the house, leaving you to figure out how to get in on your own. 

You shuffled throughout the neatly raked leaves that were piled under a window, and peered into it. The inside of the house was just as quaint as the inside. There was a bright green Lazy Boy sitting next to a stone fire place that was lit ablaze with a cheery flame. There was even a bookshelf filled to the brim with colorful spines, and a nice rug on the floor. Laying on it was a dazed looking girl, and a gigantic goat creature. The creature was brushing the girl's short brown hair, and seemed to be talking. It all looked innocent enough, maybe even cute if you thought about it. 

You stepped away from the window and began to walk away. What was going on really wasn't your business. For all you knew, the flower could be some type of pedophile who did kinky things with his vines. Knowing you, that would be the result of an acid dream.

"Hey!" The flower popped out of the dirt in front of you. "What are you doing? We've gotta save Aliza!"

"She looks just fine to me."

The flower recoiled, eye narrowed. "That looks fine to you? She's been drugged up! If we don't go get her, that crazy woman'll try to kill her, or worse." He bent his head. "Look, I know you don't trust me, and I wouldn't trust me either if I was in your position. But that girl needs to be rescued, or we're all gonna die here. At least sneak into the house and investigate. If you think she's in good hands, then go ahead and leave her behind. Okay?"

You sighed and glanced back to the window, the light of the fireplace bleeding through it. At least checking on her wouldn't hurt. You know if that kid was your daughter, you would want someone to save her if she was kidnapped by a church grim wannabe. You sighed and rubbed your forehead with the heel of your palm. "Fine, but I'm leaving her if it looks like she's in good hands...paws...hooves."

The flower straightened up, the glare becoming a scowl. "Alright, just go to the other side of the house, there's some vines growing up the side. You can climb to the top floor, and I'll open a window for you."

 You opened your mouth to protest, but Flowey swam back into the ground, leaving you alone. You let out a low sigh and rubbed at your forehead again, before pausing and glancing at your belly. "If I can deal with snooty high school students, I can climb a house."

You stepped over the rocks and tangles of tree roots and made your way to the other side of the house. Gray vines clung to the wall, looking far more dead than alive. You bit your lip and grasped some of the branches. Yup, this was definitely dead. Well, if you could survive a thousand foot drop, you could survive falling from a two story building. You grasped the vines and pulled yourself up. The climb was slow, and thorns got caught in your hands. More than once you heard the vines break and snap under your hands, and you had to scramble against the wall.You damn near cheered when you wiggled your way through the open window, and tumbled onto the carpet. Flowey was planted next to a flourishing house plant, his eye wide.

You ignored him as you crept to the stairwell and peered down. The goat lady was no where to be seen. However the girl, Aliza you reminded yourself, was now checking in the chair cushion. The goat must have left the girl behind to do something, which really didn't help you any. Now that you were actually taking a good look at the girl, she was incredibly scrawny. Her purple dress looked like it was two sizes too big for her, and you could see the sharp bones of her elbows in her arms.

All of those were clear signs of malnutrition. 

Your fingers curled around the banister a tad bit tighter as you watched her wander to the stairs. She didn't seem to notice you as she descended down to the next level of the house. You sighed a d twisted on your heel, just to come face to chest with a lavender robe. You followed it up to stare into a pair of mint green eyes. "Hello, my child. I didn't see you come in."

"..."

The goat, from the tone you inferred it was a woman, tilted her head to the side. "You're much bigger than most of the children that fall down here. It's lucky you survived at all." She stretched out a paw and took your hand into her own. "You look like an honest child though, so I'll forgive you for intruding. My name is Toriel, and you are?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt so mediocre, you don't even know. However, I loved writing Flowey, he's such a bastard. 
> 
> Know what isn't a bastard? My tumblr! http://nihilismpastry.tumblr.com


	2. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Aliza, what a strange kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore Level: None
> 
> I think there's something to be said about talking flowers...Burn them.

As it turned out, Toriel was a good cook. You were never one to judge cooking, but her butterscotch cinnamon pie was delicious. Just the right balance of sweet and spicy. You had managed to finish the entire slice with a hankering for more. Granted, it was probably rude to ask, so you kept your mouth shut. She was likely to feed you again, especially with the way she was talking. While you are, she chattered on and on about how happy her other child would be now that she had a new friend. 

"And who's your other kid?"

Toriel dumped your sugar smeared plate into the sink, the water splashing over the lip. "Her name's Aliza, an adorable girl. She's smaller than you, and has quite the appetite. She's in the living room right now, perhaps you should talk to her?"

 You glanced over to the other dishes piled onto the counter. Those would keep her busy for a bit, so why not? You left the kitchen and went into the living room. The inside was just as cozy as the outside, though a sour smell lingered. As you came closer to the girl spread out on the rug, you realized it was Aliza. She smelled vaguely of vomit and sweat, clear signs that she was sick. You knelt down and poked her shoulder. Her head lolled towards you, and a goofy grin spread over her face. "You're a snowman?"

How did she even figure....You rolled your eyes and chalked it up to Aliza being younger than she looked. "Uh, no. I'm a human, like you."

"You don't look like one."

Your eyes narrowed, but an angry bubbling in your stomach caught your attention. You scrambled to your feet and slapped a hand over your mouth. Without missing a beat you ran over to the window Dow and flung it open, before dumping out the entire content of your stomach. In the background of your gagging and puking, you could hear Aliza laughing at you. Yeah, laugh it up. You didn't ask to be assaulted with a picky stomach. Before your pregnancy,you could eat all the sweets you wanted, but now anything with even a decimal more sugar than an apple and it would be all over the porcelain god and the surrounding tile. 

So unfair.

You retracted your body back into the house and wiped your mouth with your sleeve. Toriel stood at the doorway, her eyebrows furrowed, and a frown on her lips. "My child?"

"Sorry, got a little sick." You closed the window, making sure not to lock it. "Didn't want to puke all over your floor, or Aliza."

"..."

Aliza snorted and rolled onto her stomach, as if what you said was just the funniest thing in the world. Toriel sighed and beckoned you over with her paw. When you were standing in front of her, she dragged a hand through your hair, wrenching your head back. She peeked down at you for a moment, before shaking her head and letting go of your head. "Well then, I think you should rest. I'll brew you some tea to soothe your tummy."

Huh, she really was convinced you were a kid. It made you wonder what she would think if she found out you were pregnant. The woman brushed past you and knelt down next to Slid a and whispered something, petting the tawny brown hair, before standing up and going out the front door. It closed behind her with a resounding click. 

* * *

While Toriel was gone you hauled yourself up the stairs to the last place you saw Flowey. He was still there, his eye narrowed as you walked up to him. "So, what do you think?"

You rubbed at your forehead with the heel of your palm, enjoying the rough rubbing. "She's....Well, she a fucking mess. The lady's convinced I'm a kid."

"You're not?"

"No."

The flower leaned forward, eye narrowed even further. "But you're wearing a striped jacket? Isn't that-never mind. So are we busting out of here?"

"I don't see a reason to." You said. "Toriel is taking care of Aliza, and is more or less capable." You shrugged. "I don't see what your problem is."

Flowey was silent for a moment before giving a low sigh. "Well, at least one thing worked out." One of his roots curled out from under the floorboards, revealing a small vial filled with a clear liquid. "You're a pretty decent distraction." More vines shot out and wrapped around your arms and torso. You stumbled backwards, and fell on your ass in your attempt to get free. "Thanks, human."

The flower disappeared under the floorboards, leaving you to sit on the cold ground. You twisted around on your ass and peered down stairs. You saw Aliza stumble behind the flower as he led her down the stairs that led into a dark expanse. Climbing up a wall was one thing, but rolling downstairs would probably result in a home made abortion and a broken neck. 

You wouldn't appreciate either of those. 

You flexed your muscles, and then relaxed them. It was a trick you learned from a few science geeks back in college. It would loosen the ropes, and let you wriggle away. It was a long winded process though, and that would mean Flowey would have ran off with Aliza. Good grief, now you had the lovely decision to either go grab Aliza or call it a day. You relaxed your body, and felt the vines loosen around your torso and arms. You didn't know all the variables here, and it really put you into a tizzy. You knew Flowey was strange, as strange as a one eyed flower could be, and seemed to know a lot about Toriel. Then there was Toriel, who was pretty adamant on taking care of a complete stranger. 

You tensed up your body again. The biggest anomaly, and the one that was the most important,was Aliza. She was a little off, and didn't seem all that wary of Toriel. Then again, kids were gullible and stupid. They believed in all sorts of magical pixie shit without a care in the world. You relaxed your body with a small laugh. Then again, look where you were? In the middle of a house, under a mountain, and waiting for a goat woman to find you. That vomit had tasted pretty real, so you were pretty sure it wasn't an acid dream. Well, and you were pregnant. You hadn't had a cigarette in three months, there was no way you were gonna take up acid. 

You groaned and tensed your body again. Why were people so complicated? You relaxed your  body again, just to pause when you heard the door open and shut. Light humming came from downstairs, accompanied by heavy footsteps. 

Toriel.

You scooted closer to the stairs, but not close enough that you would take a tumble. "Hey, Toriel!"

You saw her peer up the stairwell, and the woman's eyes widen. She dropped the green plants in her hand, and hurried up the stairs, two at a time. "My child, are you hurt?"

"Nah, just tied up." You bunched your muscles again as the woman bent over you, hands hovering. "I haven't been here all that long, lucky you came when you did."

Her eyes narrowed, and she tore the vines off you in one tug. The pieces withered and became dust, clinging to your clothes. You pushed yourself up and brushed it off. Toriel turned on her heel and hurried down the stairs, to the next set that descended into the darkness. You frowned as you followed after her, your hand from around the wooden banister. When you got to the second one, your vision was plunged into darkness. You couldn't see two inches in front of your face, and you could feel a chill through your jacket. The further you got, the colder got, and the smell of Christmas invaded your nose. 

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you saw that the walls were all made of stone, and that there was metal beams along the ceiling. Every now and again you also spotted periwinkle slime attached to the walls as well. The entire place looked old, like some kind of abandoned threadbare temple or something. Wait, was this some type of Temple of Doom shit? We're you about to witness a human sacrifice?

Your feet spread up at the thought. Eventually dull lights grunted from the other end of the corridor and you could hear wailing. When you got to a carved archway you stopped, eyes widening when you caught sight of something white and fluffy.

Snow.

Was that...But you had gone down stairs, so that was impossible, but so was snow underground. The snow was blocked from your vision as a giant door slammed shut, Toriel leaning her weight against it. "Another one...Another child. Is it my fate to always loose my children? Will they always be stolen from me?"

Heat began to build up in the room, and violet sparks exploded a lo g the floor. You jumped back, nearly tripping over a jagged rock in the process. You barely had time to steady yourself before you heard a scream, and a bright light filled the cavern. You squeezed your eyes shut and pressed your hands to your ears, a deep roaring and heat filling the cavern. It remained for several minutes, pounding in front of you like a never ending inferno. Yet when it finally stopped, a d the smell of burnt metal fulfilled the air, you opened your eyes to find a signed door and a sobbing Toriel. She was on the ground now, ashes raining down on her, and smoke rising from her hands as she cried. 

What you were seeing felt too intimate, as if you were intruding. You twisted around and walked back to the stairs, your hands stuffed into the pockets of your jacket. What would be the result of this equation?

* * *

When Toriel came back upstairs, there was no evidence of her tears or the ash. However her face was sullen, and her fingers clenched and unclenched as she walked up to you. The scent of burnt metal was still on her, and you had to stop yourself from wrinkling your nose when she sat next to you on the rug. She smoothed out her skirt a few times, before turning towards you, a shaky smile on her face. "Hello, my child. I'm sorry for rushing off like that, I had to check something."

"It's alright." You set your book down, a beaten up recipe book, and shut it. "Did you find Aliza?"

She shook her head, her ears drooping g further. "No, I'm afraid not. That dreadful creature must have taken her. I knew I should have burned it when I had the chance." She placed a heavy paw on your knee. "I am glad you're alright, at least. I don't know what I would have done if you both were gone."

If trying to set a door on fire was the result of one kid leaving, you really were afraid if you both had gone. It was clear Toriel was unstable then, part of you was glad to have gotten Aliza out of there. Well, you were a distraction, that totally counted. So that begged to question why Flowey had bothered to care about Aliza. Was she a friend, was he a creep, did he owe her something? 

Your attention was ripped from your thoughts as Toriel began to speak again. "Well, at any rate, I think I will prepare your room. I know today must have been a hard one. Falling into this place, a d being assaulted by that creature." She stood up. "If you like, you could take a bath. How does that sound?"

That actually didn't sound half bad. You hauled yourself up and followed her up the stairs. She opened up a door in the hallway, showing off a tiny bathroom that was missing a toilet. She twisted the knobs, and the lion foot tub filled with water and steam. She tossed a yellow duck into the tub, and a bright pink liquid that created bubbles. Almost immediately she twisted the knobs and shut off the water, before straightening up. "Thanks."

She nodded, and left the room, shutting the door behind her. You stripped off your clothes and folded them neatly on the sink. You stared into the cracked mirror, and pressed a hand to your stomach. The baby was fine, from what you could tell, it had moved a few times in the last hour. Throwing up had done wonders, actually. You went over to the tub and sank into the hot water, a moan escaping your lips. It felt good, the off pink bubbles tingling against your skin. It felt so good to be clean after the day you had. You bet a good night sleep would be even better, probably the icing on the cake. 

You felt your eyes become heavy, and sank deeper into the water. God, this felt so good. You'd need to thank Toriel later. Huh, wasn't that a funny name? Toriel. Sounded like a name from Dungeons and Dragons. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Aliza and Flowey ran off. Reader is stuck all alone with Toriel. And Toriel is...Not well. Don't you love it when people go completely insane?
> 
> Know what isn't insane? My tumblr! http://nihilismpastry.tumblr.com


	3. Only One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel is insane in your book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore Level: Low
> 
> Merry Christmas, Kaleia! I present you this extra long chapter as your gift. ^_^

Your mouth tasted dry, and there was a numb feeling in your legs and arms as you opened your eyes. Where ever you were was dark, but you didn't feel tied up, or even uncomfortable. It was as if you had been laying on your back for far too long. You blinked the sleep out of your eyes and sat up, the sound of cloth shifting, and an assault of cold coming on you. You scratched at your ear, eyebrows furrowed as your eyes adjusted to the dark. The last thing you remembered was getting in the bath...You must have fallen asleep, and the end result was Toriel retrieving you, and bringing you here. 

Where ever here was.   

You slid your fingers around on the surface you were sitting on. It felt plush and soft, likely a bed. And now that your eyes had adjusted, you could see the outline of a wardrobe and a door. So you weren't in a dungeon, just a bedroom. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, and put your feet to the floor. Cold raced up your legs, but you brushed it off as you made your way to the door. One hand out to guide you, the other on your stomach in a feeble attempt to protect the baby. When you got to the door, your fingers glided over the smooth wood, until they curled around something warm and metal. You twisted it, just for it to stop halfway through the rotation.   

Locked.  

Alright, that was fine. You were going to need a light then. You glanced around the room for a moment, before you caught the shape of something vaguely bulbous. You made your way over to it, and gently pressed your fingers around it. Stiff fabric that gave way to air, then cold glass. You felt around for a while longer, until you felt a cold chain. With a snap of your wrist, light erupted in the room. You blinked a few times, and got used to the light, before looking around. It was a small room that had a dresser in the corner, a small table with a lamp, and a box of colorful shoes next to it. Apparently you had been laying in a bed, and it was piled with frayed and patched stuffed animals.   

It looked like a child's room. Probably where Aliza had been staying all this time. And here you were locked inside since the kid ran away. You scratched at your ear again and bit your lip as you looked around. There weren't any windows, nor were there vents on the ceiling. You were trapped. Well, until Toriel came back around. Your gaze went back to the door, and you went over to it, raised your foot, and began kicking. Yes your feet were bare, and they were likely to be bruised later, but if the door was old then maybe you could kick it open.   

Once. 

Twice. 

Thrice. 

Whatever fancy way you said four... 

The door suddenly opened with a jerk, and you had to stop yourself from kicking the goat woman right in the stomach, your left leg wobbling as it tried to keep you upright.   

"My child, I see you have awakened." She gave you a small smile. "You must have been so afraid being in here all alone, but I assure you that it was for your own good. You fell asleep in the bath, and I dressed you in your clothes and put you to sleep properly."   

She wasn't mentioning the locked door, she must have thought it was 'normal'. "Thanks."  

"Of course." She held out her hand. "Would you like to go downstairs and color, or perhaps I could read you a book? I have a riveting tome about shoelaces."  

If you said no, then wouldn't you be forced to stay in this room? Going to the living room would also put you closer to the door downstairs. "Yeah, I'd like that."  

You put your hand in her paw, and let her lead you downstairs. Once you were sitting on the carpet, she turned her back to you and looked over the bookshelf. "Hmm, I know it's in here somewhere...Did I leave it in my room?" She glanced back to you, before returning her gaze to the bookshelf again. She continued muttering to herself, her shoulders becoming stiff. Looks like she didn't like what she was seeing.   

"Did you loose it?"  

"It appears so." She turned back to you with a sigh. "I suppose coloring is what we will be doing then."  

"Maybe I could help you find it?"  

"Hmm..." She tilted her head to the side. "Fine then, I suppose that would be alright. We should check my room, it's the most likely place it could be."  

You pushed yourself to your feet and followed behind the goat woman. She led you up the stairs, and into a large room that was far too tidy for your tastes. The large bed was made, the bookshelf was put together, carpet washed and swept, and the desk only had a book, pen, and bottle out. Toriel went to her bed to investigate while you went to the desk. The only reason you had offered to help was to stay out of the room, but you could learn a lot about a person through their bedroom.   

You picked up the bottle. It was heavy and filled with a clear liquid. When you shook it, the liquid inside shimmered. You set it back down, and glanced down at the book, an eyebrow raising. Inside was a date with a series of poorly written jokes, the ink smudged here and there. It was a diary, but left out in the open like this? You glanced over to Toriel, who was looking under the bed.   

If you did this...Then you would be snooping in her business. You didn't like doing that, but you did need to know more about Toriel. And who knows, maybe you could also find out more about Aliza and the door. You flipped back a few pages, and found a few more jokes, along with a recipe for chocolate torte. Flipping a few more pages revealed another recipe, this one for a cure all. It had strange ingredients, some of them common herbs like rosemary and parsley, others were far more sinister. A froggit's eye, distilled ghost tears, and something that was scratched out with a red pen. You flipped back another page to reveal a crude drawing of a boy, he had large eyes and crooked teeth. However, what drew your attention, was the fact there was yellow fabric glued to the drawing. You pressed a finger against it, and your blood ran cold.  

It felt like human hair.  

Sure, maybe it was a little on the dry side, and had glue along the edges, but it was still certainly hair. You drew back your hand and looked over to the still searching goat woman. You picked up the book and flipped it to the beginning, just to see a name scribbled all over the front of it.  

Asgore Dreemur. 

Asgore Dreemur. 

Asgore Dreemur. 

**_Asgore Dreemur_**

Written like a twisted mantra, it was scratched out in some places, written larger in others. And as you thought that clearly your host had a problem, another page flip revealed a coppery brown smeared over the writing. It was crusty and could be mistaken for a sauce, if it wasn't for the smell. You dropped the book as if it had burned you, and began rubbing your hands on your jacket.   

"Are you alright, my child?" You glanced over to the goat woman, she was now standing with a book in her hand, eyebrows furrowed. "You look ill..."  

"I'm, fine."  

"No, you must go to bed my child." She went over and took your hand, and led you to your room. "I shall read you the story while you rest in bed. It will be more fun than being alone, right?"  

"Yeah."  

* * *

The next day you spent your time in bed, while Toriel practically stuffed you with food. Not all of it agreed with you, and more than once you found yourself puking up. Toriel didn't complain in the least, cleaning up your mess for you, patting your head, and helping you back into bed. Another strange thing was that you had stopped needing to use the toilet. Toriel merely laughed at you, saying that her food was made with magic, so it was more spiritual than physical. You didn't understand any of it, but you were thankful. You hadn't seen a toilet in Toriel's bathroom when you went in there.   

While you were busy being ridiculously sick, you played close attention to Toriel. She was loving, and thoughtful, and more than once you had to tell her you would be fine. She never left you a line for more than five minutes, and that was to get you another cup of foul smelling water. By the end of that first day, you were more than sure Toriel saw you as a replacement for Aliza. And in a twisted way, it did make sense. She lost someone who she viewed as her child, of course she would be upset. Yet here was another 'child' just ready to be dotted on, and lost from home. A child no one was going to find inside a giant mountain they were warned to stay away from.   

So, the next day as Toriel brought you another cup of water, you began idle conversation. It started on how you missed washing dishes in your mother's house, because you could see the garden from the window. Toriel had casually mentioned the yellow flowers, and that she also had a small herb garden as well. Which reminded you of the small herb garden your garden club took care of back home.   

"Even though it's a city," You said. "we planted this small community garden close to a pharmacy. It's fall now, so we're gathering the seeds to grow next year. I can't wait to plant catnip again."  

"Perhaps we could try to grow some here."  

"That sounds like a great idea and all, but I really wanna grow them back home. I cut them and give them to my neighbor. She'd throw a real fit if she didn't get them."b

"Can she not grow it herself?"  

"She'd kill it in a heartbeat."  

"A pity," She said. "but I think catnip will grow just fine down here. Far better than up there. From what I hear, there's smoke in the air all the time in your cities. It would hurt the poor flowers." 

"Maybe." 

"..." 

A shrill beep could be heard downstairs, and Toriel quickly excused herself. However, you didn't miss the distinct click that left the door when Toriel locked it. You frowned, but didn't call after her. She had already confirmed your suspicions, anyway. Toriel was playing the 'replacement goldfish' trope, which meant you were in serious trouble. There was a slim chance of you being able to go back peacefully, or of Toriel being all there in the head. This was what you got for getting in other people's business, you suppose. You could have gone home without consequence if you had ignored that stupid flower.  

So now you had to fix this stupid mistake, but how?  

You snuggled under your blanket as Toriel opened the door. Well, first you needed a proper plan. And the best way to do that, without getting caught, was being compliant. 

* * *

 

Apparently Toriel had to make her rounds in the ruins. According to her, she took care of the place, and ensured that other children didn't fall into the mountain. While suicide rates and kidnapping was an all time high in your city, they never found bodies anywhere near the mountain. Maybe that was why, they all had jumped in. Which led to question where all the children went, if Toriel usually found them where you fell. You hadn't seen any dead bodies laying around, maybe she ate them.  

You shook the thought away as you rubbed your stomach, listening to the low thumps that were Toriel's footsteps. For the last week you had figured out when she woke up, how long it took for her to leave her room, make you breakfast, bring it back up, clean the dishes, then leave the house to go tend to her ruin. So far her return times varied, but it was never less than twenty minutes. 

You could probably get out of here and took that door downstairs by now. However, there was just the problem of the locked door. Toriel locked your door every time she left your room, and you had yet to see a key on her. You would use bobby pins or something, but you didn't have any of those lying around either. Teenage and young adult you would have been very disappointed in your lack of tools. 

So, your only option was to slip out of the room while Toriel was inside. That called for some serious stamina, which was currently being used to create your bundle of joy. You stared down at your exposed stomach, a frown pulling on your lips. You couldn't feel the baby move yet, but you were still worried. After that drop, climbing up a wall, and puking your guts up constantly, you were worried about the baby. As soon as you got out, you were going to a hospital. Just, maybe leaving out the whole 'monsters actually exist' thing. 

You flopped your hand onto the bed when you heard heavy footsteps come up the stairs. You pushed yourself up and got off the bed when Toriel unlocked and opened the door. As usual she wore her bright smile, and there was a tray loaded with food that would end up puked up on the floor. "Good morning, my child~. I hope you slept well."

"Yup."

She set the tray on the floor, an odd habit. "That is good. I would hate for you to have a nightmare." You turned away from the food and began taking off the stuffed animals and pillow. "Making up your bed?"

"Yup." You turned back to her and gave a small smile. "If I do my chores, I thought maybe I could color?"

"Oh, of course dear! As soon as I get back, I'll bring you some paper and crayons."

You gripped the edge of the blanket and grit your teeth. You only had one chance to do this, or she'd likely tie you up. The woman was hurting and needed to mourn, not use you to fill in that gap. Maybe she would be better later on, but for now, you needed to leave. 

With a jerk  you dragged the thing blanket off the bed, and whipped it over your head. You had to suppress a squeal of delight when it hit Toriel in the face, surrounding her in the blanket like a ghost. "M-My child!"

You didn't give her a chance to say anything more as you ran out the room, slamming the door shut behind you. Your bare feet almost skidded as you made your way down the first set of stairs, and onto the bottom ones. Above you screaming echoed, and heavy thumps from her running. You didn't pay her any mind, knowing full well that if you looked back, then you would get caught.

When you made it to the bottom of the stairs, your feet hit smooth stone, and an icy cold flooded your veins. Your eyes strained in the darkness, and your breathing became labored. You were so close now, all that planning, all that thought. You couldn't waste your opportunity, not when your baby's life was at stake. Just as the door came into view, a warm hand grabbed you by the back of your neck. You were twisted around, mint green eyes burning with hurt and rage. On instinct, your hand flew up and began clawing at the paw. "Toriel, I've gotta get home!"

"You too would abandon." She said, her grip tightening. "Leave my side to go with those...Creatures! They're no longer monsters, child. They will do awful things they have lost their sanity."

"And what you're doing is sane?"

She opened her mouth, and her rage stilled. For a moment you saw a woman that was broken, that had seen too much, that really did need company. 

"Aliza promised to help us," She said. "to make us whole again. I only wished to keep you here until that happened, but perhaps..." She let go of your neck and dropped you to the floor, a sharp pain erupted in your side, but you ignored it at you breathed in precious air. "If you wish to leave as well, I will allow it. Who knows if my sanity will last however long it takes Aliza to fulfill her goal. However, I only ask of you this: "Try to be patient with the other monsters. They too have lost much, and need to be brought back to the correct path."

"I promise."

The goat woman sighed a d shut her eyes. "Then I can be at peace." She went over to the door and opened it, leaving snow, and a snuggle of vines that some how survived it. "Go."

You stood up and limped to the door. The cold brushed against your clothes, seeping through them like needles. You shuddered and hunched forward, trying to keep as much warmth inside you as the giant door slammed shut behind you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's out! Without shoes, her side hurting, and exhausted, but she made it out okay! Now she better not run into any monsters in such a vulnerable state...
> 
> Know what isn't vulnerable? My tumblr! http://nihilismpastry.tumblr.com


	4. Lotus Position

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally that yoga your brother taught you comes in handy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore Level: Low
> 
> Another update! And I have to say, it was fun writing this chapter.

The first order of business was get your feet out of the cold. Aliza may be able to run around without shoes in god awful temperatures, but that certainly wasn't you. You were raised in a place where the coldest it got was during a winter rain, and even then you only needed a windbreaker. You stared up at the many trees as you walked by, looking for one's that had branches that were more likely to hold up your body weight. Then again, you just survived a fall, maybe you could survive a tumble out of a tree.

When you crossed a bridge, that was made of stone, if the rough texture was anything to go by, you sat down. You then crossed your legs, and put your feet into the inside of your thighs. Your brother called it the 'lotus position', and you never thought you'd need it for something, especially giving your feet a break from the freezing cold. You leaned your head back, and your eyebrows furrowed. A thick fog swirled around, and snowflakes fell from it in small clumps. However, there were patches were you could see jagged black and violet.

This place wasn't the outside, it was still part of the cave. 

But then why was it snowing? You may only be a high school biology teacher, but you were positive that snow didn't rain down from a stone ceiling. Unless it really wasn't snow and was some kind of ash the was cold due to the temperatures in the cave. But as the 'ash' fell on your exposed face, and melted into small puddles, you were convinced of the contrary. It was somehow snowing without a proper atmosphere to cultivate snow. Then again, why we're you even surprised by any of this? You had just been talking to a goat woman who could create fire only twenty minutes ago. 

You got your legs out of the uncomfortable position, and struggled to your feet again. When you were stable, you began to speed walk across the snow, still paying close attention to the trees. Most of them were scraggly pines, or Christmas trees that had flimsy branches. There was even the occasional maple tree that had no leaves, and looked like a skeleton with its bare branches. You would have gone into those right away, but there were icicles that looked more like daggers hanging from the branches. While you were sure you could survive a tumble out of the tree,you doubted you would survive a run in with an ice pick. 

As you crossed another bridge, once again made of stone, your eyes lit up. Across the gap and along the path was a small hut. It probably housed monster, and they might be as insane as Toriel, but you weren't going to let the opportunity pass you by! 

You picked up your pace, and as the hut came into view, you realized it was more of a counter. It had a snow covered roof, a red smeared counter, and an empty bottle of ketchup. Oh well, you really weren't going to complain. Not seeing anyone around, you pushed the ketchup bottle to the side, and sat on the counter. It was still cold, and the red was smudged onto your clothes, but it was better than sitting on the ground. You leaned against one of the posts, and pressed a hand against your chest.

Why was it getting warm all of a sudden? 

* * *

Sans scratched at his ribs for the twentieth time in the last ten minutes. The bones were practically scarred with how often he'd been scratching and rubbing against them for the last two weeks. He had washed them out with snow, and had washed his clothes, but it persisted. At this rate, he was convinced he was falling apart from the inside, and should probably go find Gerson before his ribs started to crumble to dust. 

Aloud knock on his door, and his brother's unholy wake up call caused him to groan and slam the pillow over his skull. He wasn't in the mood to work today, not when he wanted to chop off his own ribs. Yet, with his his brother's banging and the smell of food cooking, he eventually found the strength to stumble out of bed. He ripped open his door, just to find his brother standing there with a tray of burnt rubber...No, food.

He plucked it off his plate, and shoved it in his mouth, keeping his features schooled in a smile as the taste of burnt oil and skin met his conjured tongue. "pretty good, bro."

The smile his brother made was worth his heaving magic system. "OF COURSE IT IS, I MADE IT." He turned on his heel and went downstairs. "NOW HURRY AND COME ON BROTHER. WE NEED TO DO PATROLS TODAY, OR ELSE DOGAMY AND DOGARESSA WILL GET UPSET."

"ok."

"I MEAN IT SANS!"

The skeleton slipped his feet into his slippers, before following his brother downstairs. The smell was worse down here, and a thick black smoke filled the air. The window was open, but it wasn't helping to get rid of the smell. Coming back home was going to be a real...experience.

"you ready, bro?"

Papyrus pulled on his rubber gloves. "GO ON WITHOUT ME. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WAKE YOU UP FROM NAPPING, YOU LAZY BONES." 

He opened up the door, letting out more of the smoke. It was probably a good thing he was heading out early, if he kept the door open while Papyrus was busy, he could air out the house. "see ya around, bro."

He didn't wait to hear an answer as he went out into the snow, scratching at his ribs through his t-shirt. Maybe he could strip and roll around in the snow. He used to do it all the time when Papyrus first started cooking humans, he thought he was going to have to rip out his soul and bash it on a rock with how terrible it was. The burning in his bones began to intensify, causing Sans to growl and slip a hand under his shirt. He dug his distal phalanges into the bones, dragging them as hard as he could, but it didn't provide any relief. 

Hissing he made his way to a snowbank behind his sentry station and settled himself down. Tearing off his jacket and shirt, he flung both to the side and set an open hand in front of his sternum. With a jerk, his soul materialized and phased through the bones. The small, gray light pulsed and numbers ran up and down the cracked surface. However, the strangest thing of all was a blueish-yellow spark that was nestled in the middle of the upside down heart. 

"the hell?"

Why did he have a spark of all things? Sparks were the only color a monster soul would ever get, it was the thing that would ignite their soul mate's soul with their magic. But Sans didn't have a soul mate, at least he was almost sure he didn't. And yet here it was, glowing and trying to escape him to go be with his potential mate. He growled, and yanked his soul, forcing it back into his chest. Sans didn't need a soul mate, all they would be was a hindrance. Someone else that he would have to feed, take care of, and protect. He didn't have the extra energy to expend on that, not when he had Papyrus around. He would be damned if he gave up on his little brother. 

He dropped his hand into the snow, just for his soul to escape him again. This time when he reached out for his soul, it slipped through his fingers and phased through the back of the sentry station. Sans scrambled up and went to the other side, just to come skidding to a stop. Laying on top of his station was a human, her knees pressed to her chest, and a frown poised on her face. She blinked for a moment,  before slowly unfurling her legs and sitting up properly. 

Sans huffed out a laugh, and gathered the magic in his bones, his magic count dwindling as he did so. The human was smaller than himself, a rarity in this world, and wasn't too thin or fat. She could probably feed himself and his brother for awhile. A little extra food never hurt anyone, not if you got it honestly. And killing an intruding human was more than fair. 

The magic thickened and stretched as he sent it into the ground, becoming the perfect trap, ready to impale his meal. All he needed was for her to get off that counter. Granted, his cleaver would be better to use, but it was getting fixed. 

The human extended a hand towards him, her face still set in a neutral stare. "Sup, I take it you're a monster?"

"you're not scared?"

"I met one in the ruins already." She said. "So I don't see a reason to freak out."

So she ran into the old lady and survived. Must have appealed to her better nature or something. She'd always been a bit of a push over, but he guessed she had the luxury when she had all that food to herself. Last he heard, most of the monsters in the ruins died out, and those that lived got killed by the old woman when they tried to harm the humans that fell. Leaving the woman all by herself with one of the only farms that still prospered in the Underground. 

Sans reached our for her hand, and grasped it. The warmth of her flesh worming it's way through his bones, even to his currently missing soul. He ignored it and jerked her forward. Her body slipped off the counter, and she crumbled to her knees. She was finally in the position to impale her, so why wasn't he doing it? He could practically see her body dangling from the bones, blood splattered everywhere, and her dying whimpers echoing through the area. 

_**Protect** _

_**Keep** _

_**Mine** _

His smile became strained when his soul fluttered from the front of the human's jacket. The spark was burning brighter now, small flames shooting from it. " **W h a t d i d y o u d o** ?" 

She shook her head, mouth open and a bewildered expression on her face. A squeal left her mouth as pale, blue heart slipped from her jacket this time. "My eyes! Everything's-!"

The numbers on her soul were smaller than his own, so much smaller they were insignificant. The only thing that was higher than his was her HP. Her Hope Percentage was high enough to rival even Papyrus, who currently had the highest count in the entire Underground. Yet she had low MP, had only one EXP, and no LOVE. Some of the human's he came across at least had high MP. And in the middle of the numbers and that icy blue was a spark. It was as white as snow, and much smaller than his own. His grip tightened, and he ignored her pained gasp, as she sank deeper into the snow. 

He had to stop this. He couldn't allow their soul's to form a link. But they were so close to each other, and it was obvious his soul had already done the math. He gathered all the magic in his body and projected his thoughts to the shed, willing for him to make a way into the damn void, just for his magic to spurt and fizzle out. 

Just as the fire erupted from her soul, and latched to his, he let go of the human and scrambled for the ketchup bottle. A burning heat filled his soul, and his ribs finally stopped itching, but he payed it no mind as he twisted around and slipped the glass bottle over the soul, using his other hand to slam over the top. The spark in the soul fizzled out, but the fire still burned bright on his own soul, filling him with something he had never felt before.

He glanced down to the human, who held one hand to her eye, the other to her chest. She was clearly in pain, someone had caused her to be in pain. A low growl reverberated in his chest and he knelt down. She tried to back away, her back hitting the sentry station, but he used his knees to pin her in place. He leaned down and pressed his teeth to her forehead, her  warm breath caressing his cervical curve.

**Protect**

**Keep**

_**MINE** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're soul mates....Kinda? Well, he's soul mates with her, not the other way around. Right now she's technically trapped in a bottle. 
> 
> Know what isn't trapped in a bottle? My tumblr! http://nihilismpastry.tumblr.com


	5. Compliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're happy to play prisoner, until you're not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore Level: Low
> 
> Puns are hard to make up, even when they're obvious.

The monster was an anomaly. One minute you were being threatened by him,the next he was taking off his jacket and wrapping you up in it, the heart still on that damn bottle. You felt empty without it, like someone had ripped out your heart and stuffed cotton in the wound. There was also an issue with your vision, everything was in a blizzard black and white. Well, most everything. The heart was a pale blue, and was practically glowing. 

You glanced over to the skeleton as you trudged through the snow. He had been silent the entire sidewalk so far, his...pupil(?) trained on the small heart. You had tried to casually walk away at one point, but he had grabbed you around the waist and kept a bony hand on your hip. His grip was strong, but it wasn't malevolent either. However, you were just waiting for him to do...something. So far, everyone down here had decided to endanger you in some form or fashion. It wouldn't be too far a stretch for him to decide to bury you in the snow or something. Maybe rip out your own skeleton and put your skin on display. 

You shook your head. 

You had watched way too many horror movies. 

The skeleton halted you, causing you to hiss. Your feet had long since gone numb, and any sudden rough movements made a sharp sting go up your legs. "What?"

"there's a town up ahead." He said. "you're gonna have to keep your mouth shut and head down, capiche?"

You raised an eyebrow. Legend said that the monsters were driven underground, where they eventually died off. Clearly they hadn't died off, but you didn't expect enough civilization to be a town. "So what, there's a town full of spooky, scary skeletons? You gonna sacrifice me to the gods or something?"

He reached up and jerked hood down, almost obscuring your vision. "just keep your mouth shut."

You followed him through the snow into a small, Christmas-esque town. It was filled with small buildings with glowing shop fronts, and bustling monsters. You didn't see any skeletons, mostly various animals. All of them nodded to Sans, but gave you curious looks, their noses twitching when applicable. You figured they must have a better sense of smell than you did, which would make sense if they worked like normal animals. 

Eventually you both came upon a two story house. It had Christmas light strung around one of the pillars and a balcony. Sans led you up the steps and opened up the door. You let out a breathy sigh when your feet hit warm carpet. Granted, this guy had just more or less kidnapped you. Yeah, you were going to have to confront that after you warmed up a bit and got some shoes. You didn't want to say something, then run away again without proper attire. Hypothermia was a shitty way to go, and you were sure your baby wouldn't appreciate it either. 

The skeleton guided you up the stairs and opened up a door on the end. It was a mess with socks all over the place, a fan on, and a small...Yeah, that was a tornado. It was filled with trash and made a low whirring sound. You tore your eyes from the contraption as you were pushed into the room, the door behind the both of you slamming shut. 

You flinched as the skeleton pushed past you, and set the bottle on top of a book. The book itself was balanced on a bowl. For whatever reason, you dreaded the thought of the bottle breaking.

"So is there a reason you kidnapped me?" He flipped onto the bed face first, his reply muffled by the mattress. You were almost sure it wasn't sanitary, if the black blotches you were seeing was anything to go by. "Can't understand you."

 He lifted up his skull. "so you wouldn't get killed. old lady told you what's going on?"

"No."

 He snorted, somehow. "course she didn't." He flipped onto his back. "long story short, humans are in pretty high demand. catch one and the entire underground goes nuts."

"Why?"

"lotta reasons. food, getting outta this shit hole, curiosity." He shrugged. "guess you're lucky i found ya first."

So monsters saw humans as some kind of wonder cure? From good to getting out of the Underground? You found it hilarious in a morbid way. Humans thought the same of monsters, read any kind of story, and watch the old wizard tell the farm boy he could cure a disease with selkie bones, or use dragon blood to become invulnerable. "So what do you get out of it then? I mean, if I'm so valuable, wouldn't you wanna sell me or something?"

"benefits me more keeping you alive." He shut his sockets. "don't  worry 'bout it now."

You kicked a few of his socks out of the way, before sitting on the floor. You had no real intentions on running away or anything at this exact moment. The skeleton hadn't tried to kill you or anything, just being a cryptic ass. Besides, you really didn't want to even leave the room. Your gaze shifted to the heart floating in the air again, and your chest gave a painful squeeze. 

* * *

You were awoken to shrill speaking. It wasn't yelling, even if it was loud, it was just clear person didn't own an indoor voice. You sat up and rubbed at your eye with one hand, and pet your stomach with the other. Looks like you didn't get chopped up and turned into a philosopher's stone in your sleep. But your vision still hadn't returned back to normal, and the skeleton was no longer on the bed. There was also a heavy feeling in your stomach, it wasn't morning sickness, but something that almost hurt and brought a metallic taste to your tongue. 

You stood up, the bones in your legs popping with the process, and you went to the door. A quick pull dampened your mood further as you realized the door was locked. You sighed and let go of the doorknob. Okay, so that way out was off limits. Your gaze shifted to the doors on the far side of the room that let out onto a balcony. Even if you wanted to use that way, you doubt it would be a good idea to fall into the snow. A smart kidnapper would hide traps under it. 

You were distracted from your thoughts as the door swung open, almost smacking you in the face. You fixed a glare on the skeleton, but he didn't say anything as he shut the door behind him. He went straight to a clothes pile and began looking through it, before producing a stained wife beater and some shorts. He tossed them to you. "wear  'em."

"Why?"

"it'll disguise your scent." He said, falling onto his bed and leaning back against the wall. "my bro doesn't know you're human. if he comes in here, he'll smell me instead of you." Huh, couldn't argue with that. Hell, it made even more sense to wear his dirty clothes. They'd have his natural scent on them. You turned away from him and began stripping off your clothes, throwing them into a pile on the floor. You kept on your bra, you still had to have some form of decency, and turned his shirt upside down so you could slip it on. "you're pretty compliant."

"You're complaining about that?"

"nah, didn't expect it."

You tugged the shirt over your head, getting a faceful of rough cotton and something that smelled metallic yet spicy. Like some kind of cheap candle that got mixed up in the cooking aisle. It wasn't the best smelling thing in the world, but it could be worse. "Well, you kidnapped me. I know nothing about you, your mental state, or this house. So if I did piss you off, I have no idea what you would do to me in retaliation. You just said humans are valuable, I could end up with someone worse than a guy who just hands me dirty clothes and locks the door." 

He hummed, and made a soft clanking sound that you probably wouldn't have picked up if you weren't so close to his bed. "smart for a human."

"Mhm." You slipped on the shorts. "And you're pretty laid back for a kidnapper, so I guess we're even."

Once you were dressed you turned around as you loosened the tie on the pants. They were pulled as far as they would go, no doubt thanks to his lack of muscles and overall body. He had his eye on you, the pupil itself narrowed as he looked you up and down. You raised an eyebrow, but didn't object to his staring. You didn't want to piss him off, as far as he was concerned, you were compliant if not flippant towards the situation. You began to sink to the floor, but he reached over and grabbed you, pinning you to the bed. You winced under his weight, and the press of his hard bones into your skin as he leaned over you, but didn't object to his touch. His nose hole, you didn't remember a thing about skeletal anatomy, scraped against you neck. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he pressed closer to you, pushing you further into the hard mattress. "you're covered in..."

"Huh-Ah!"

You stiffened as something warm and slimy laved against your neck, prompting another growl from the skeleton. His fingers curled into your hips, eliciting a strangled yelp from you as he punctured the skin. Blood trickled down your legs, and stained the mattress. If he didn't want your scent all over the place before, he was gonna have to piss everywhere in order to cover everything up now. Your thoughts were cut off by a sharp pain in your stomach, and a flood of blood in your mouth. It spilled out the sides, and soaked into your borrowed wife beater and hair. You pushed out a hand, but it was yanked up and pinned above your head. "don't you fucking-"

"My baby!"

He sat up, his eye staring down at you, the pupil almost taking up the entire socket. You pressed a hand to your stomach, but didn't dare get up, afraid any unnecessary movements would hurt the baby. The skeleton scrambled off of you and grabbed the bottle, and dumped the heart into his hand. He then shoved it back into your body, his bones scraping against your exposed skin in his hurry. You didn't dare complain as color erupted into the room, and the heavy feeling dissipated out of your stomach. Even the hollow feeling in your chest was gone.

You felt whole now. 

The monster didn't seem to notice, as he left the room, slamming it shut and leaving you alone. It only took him seconds to come back, a jar full of something thick and gray in his hand. He crawled back onto the bed and straddled you again, before popping open the lid. He dug two fingers into the mixture, and pulled out something round and white. He slipped a hand to your cheek, and forced a thumb into your mouth, prying it open. He set the jar to the side, and brought the mysterious orb thing closer, a fowl smell filling your nose. You felt your heart rate pick up and you weakly shook your head, but his fingers curled into your hair, forcing you still. Your blood ran cold as you saw the item clearly now, and you let out a shrill scream. 

"don't be that way." He said, gripping your waist a bit tighter with his knees. "this is the only solution _eye_ got." He pressed the orb to your lips, the slimy texture making you shudder, and the bitter taste almost making you gag when he pushed it past your failed barrier. He retracted his thumb, and pinched your nose with one hand, while untangling his hand from your hair, and covering your mouth with the other. "now swallow."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, he made her eat an eye. Was it human? Who knows~. And I kinda wanna know if you guys want Sans to refer to the Reader as 'Baby Mama'. I know a lot of you guys in the comments already do, so would it throw ya'll off if he called her something else? 
> 
> Bleh. 
> 
> This chapter was a pain to write guys. I just couldn't get the feel of it until the very end. By then it was too late, and this chapter was a train wreck. 
> 
> Know what isn't a train wreck? My tumblr! http://nihilismpastry.tumblr.com/


End file.
